The Immunology Unit researches the human host immune response to infectious diseases of high prevalence in Cambodia. Our mission is to provide insight into both the innate and adaptive immune response to various viral infections for novel vaccine and therapeutics design. We aim to improve vaccination strategies for vaccine-preventable diseases and identify novel biomarkers of severity or treatment response.
The Immunology Unit researches the human host immune response to infectious diseases of high prevalence in Cambodia. Our mission is to provide insight into both the innate and adaptive immune response to various viral infections for novel vaccine and therapeutics design. We aim to improve vaccination strategies for vaccine-preventable diseases and identify novel biomarkers of severity or treatment response.
Dengue is caused by dengue virus (DENV), a virus which can be transmitted by Aedes mosquitos. Vaccine development for the prevention of dengue infection is challenging because there are 4 different serotypes of dengue and an individual can be infected consecutively with different serotypes. Clinical outcome after infection range from asymptomatic infection to life threatening dengue shock syndrome. The immunopathology of the disease remains largely unknown and there are no biomarkers that can either predict severe outcome after infection or immunoprotection after natural infection or vaccination. We employ single cell technologies and cell based assays to unravel both the innate and adaptive immune response after secondary dengue infection in a unique cohort of acute, asymptomatic dengue infected individuals and hospitalized cases. The proposed work will provide ground-breaking insights into host protective mechanisms during dengue virus infection. The results will establish a foundation for the development of new vaccination strategies and will identify novel correlates of protection to be used in vaccine efficacy studies.
Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a reemerging human arbovirus that has seen a rapid global spread in the two past decades. Infection typically involves two phases, with an acute phase where patients develop fever and arthralgia. In 20-40% of the cases, arthralgia is persistent and evolves in a chronic disease. The drivers of chronicity are unknown. In addition, a new CHIKV genotype has been circulating in Cambodia in 2020 with unknown clinical outcome. Therefore, we aim to evaluate clinical outcome in children, adults and pregnant woman infected with the new CHIKV strain. We will perform a detailed immunoprofiling of CHIKV infection in the acute phase of disease, including scRNAseq, multi-parameter flow cytometry, antibody effector functions and type I IFN assessment. This will help us to understand the immunological responses during the acute phase of disease that could lead to chronic pathology after CHIKV infection and to identify a possible novel biomarker for future case management.
Both chikungunya and dengue virus are transmitted by Aedes mosquitos. In addition to factors to facilitate a bloodmeal, mosquito saliva also contains proteins that modulate both innate and adaptive immune responses. Little is known about skin immunity to mosquito saliva, particularly in endemic volunteers. Hence, characterization of the immune responses to vector saliva and arboviral pathogens will be important in order to identify critical aspects of the innate and adaptive immune responses after an infected vector bite. In this proposal, we will focus on the interplay between dengue and chikungunya virus, arboviruses highly endemic in Cambodia, its vectors Aedes Aegypti and Aedes Albopictus, and the human skin immune environment. This work can lead to the development of alternative vaccine strategies based on the interaction between host, virus and vector.
Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most common opportunistic infections among HIV-infected patients especially in resource-limited countries such as Cambodia. The diagnosis of pulmonary TB currently relies on sputum smears microscopy, which has poor sensitivity. Additional tools are urgently needed not only to help diagnose TB but also to assess the response to TB treatment. In a previous study, we found that IL-1Ra plasma concentrations dropped dramatically after two months of TB treatment. The objective of this proof-of-concept study is to demonstrate that IL-1Ra concentrations significantly decrease earlier within two weeks following TB treatment initiation in adults with documented TB. Two other biomarkers IP-10 and sCD163 will also be evaluated in this study. We demonstrated in previous study that the degranulation capacity of NK cell plays a role in the pathogenesis of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in tuberculosis and HIV co-infection. The prevention of IRIS is the main challenge of early antiretroviral therapy. However, up to today no laboratory test can be used to diagnose and/or predict the occurrence of IRIS. This study aims to validate blood based microRNA detection by flow cytometry as laboratory tool for prediction and/or prognosis of the clinical outcome of tuberculosis in HIV infected patients and to elucidate the fundamental mechanism of IRIS.
The duration of immunity of SARS-CoV-2 will dictate the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and the post-pandemic dynamics. Hence, understanding factors influencing the kinetics and the quality of the memory immune response in different populations is crucial. Therefore, we are following a cohort of Cambodian laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients over time to evaluate the emergence and persistence of the memory immune response. T cell response to various SARS-CoV-2 proteins are evaluated, and Spike-specific memory B cells are quantified and their BCR is sequenced. We are evaluating the humoral immune response in depth, by analyzing cross-reacitivty between SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses and by evaluating antibody-effector functions trough cell based assays.
Pasteur International Center for Research on Emerging Infectious Diseases (PICREID):
We participate in the NIH-funded CREID network with studies focused on understanding the host adaptive immune response to emerging infectious diseases in South-East Asia with a particular focus on arboviruses. With a cluster investigation approach, we are identifying a set of Cambodian childeren that are undergoing acute arbovirus infection but are completely healthy before and during a 10-day follow up period. In addition, we are collecting well characterized patient samples from major pediatric hospitals in Kampong Thom Province. This longitudinal patient cohort provides us with a unique opportunity to study the immune responses initiated after arbovirus infection that provide protection from disease, but clear the virus.
Single Cell analysis Platform:
The laboratory is equipped with a new installed Biosafety level 2+ laboratory dedicated to work with human infectious samples. A BD FACSAriaTM Fusion cell sorter (4 laser, 18 color) has been installed in 2020. Moreover, the lab is equipped with a 10x Chromium Controller to perform scRNAseq experiments, and we have the capacity to produce monoclonal antibodies derived from plasmablasts/memory B cells of virus-infected patients.
Definition of clinical immunology around the globe.
Crispín JC, Cantaert T, Pinzon-Charry A, Mavilio D, Seri A, Miossec P.
Front Immunol. 2025 Jan 28;16:1483391. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1483391. eCollection 2025.
Sokchea Lay, Candice Bohaud, Sopheak Sorn, Sreymom Ken, Felx A Rey, Kein K Ariën , Sowath Ly , Veasna Duong, Giovanna Barba-Spaeth, Heidi Auerswald , Tineke Cantaert.
mSphere. 2025 Apr 11:e0096124. doi: 10.1128/msphere.00961-24
Balancing functions of regulatory T cells in mosquito-borne viral infections
Sotheary Sann, Markus Kleinewietfeld, Tineke Cantaert
Emerging Microbes & Infections 2024, https://doi.org/10.1080/22221751.2024.2304061
Sann S, Heng B, Vo HTM, Arroyo Hornero R, Lay S, Sorn S, Ken S, Ou TP, Laurent D, Yay C, Ly S, Dussart P, Duong V, Sakuntabhai A, Kleinewietfeld M, Cantaert T.
mBio. 2024 May https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.00063-24 . PMID: 38752787
David Guerrero, Sokchea Lay, Eakpor Piv, Chansophea Chhin, Sokkeang Leng, Ratana Meng, Kim Eng Mam, Polidy Pean, Amelie Vantaux, Sebastien Boyer, Dorothée Missé, Tineke Cantaert
Oxford Open Immunology, Volume 5, Issue 1, 2024, iqae003. Advance Access Publication Date: 1 April 2024 https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfimm/iqae003
Rapid decrease in IL-1Ra and IP-10 plasma levels following tuberculosis treatment initiation
Pean Polidy, Roseline Affi, Corine Chazalon, Ben Cheick Soumahoro, Delphine Gabillard, Dim Bunnet, Laurence Borand, Raoul Moh, Xavier Anglaret, François-Xavier Blanc, Pierre-Marie Girard, Guislaine Carcelain, Didier Laureillard, Laurence Weiss
International Journal of Infectious Diseases Available online 11 May 2024, 107096 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2024.107096
Unraveling the intricacies of host-pathogen interaction through single-cell genomics.
Gioacchino E, Vandelannoote K, Ruberto AA, Popovici J, Cantaert T.
Microbes Infect. 2024 Feb 16:105313. doi: 10.1016/j.micinf.2024.105313.
Roth C, Pitard B, Levillayer L, Lay S, Vo HTM, Cantaert T, Sakuntabhai A.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2024 Oct 17;18(10):e0012601. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012601.
Characterization of soluble TLR2 and CD14 levels during acute dengue virus infection.
Upasani V, Ter Ellen BM, Sann S, Lay S, Heng S, Laurent D, Ly S, Duong V, Dussart P, Smit JM, Cantaert T, Rodenhuis-Zybert IA.
Heliyon. 2023 Jun 21;9(6):e17265. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17265. eCollection 2023 Jun.
Human FcγRIIIa activation on splenic macrophages drives dengue pathogenesis in mice
Yamin R, Kao KS, MacDonald MR, Cantaert T, Rice CM, Ravetch JV, Bournazos S.
Nat Microbiol. 2023 Aug;8(8):1468-1479. doi: 10.1038/s41564-023-01421-y. Epub 2023 Jul 10.
Pean P, Madec Y, Nerrienet E, Borand L, Laureillard D, Fernandez M, Marcy O, Scott-Algara D; CAMELIA Study Team.
Pathogens. 2023 Oct 13;12(10):1241. doi: 10.3390/pathogens12101241.
Heidi Auerswald, Alvino Maestri, Sothy Touch, Saraden In, Nisa Ya, Borita Heng, Valérie Bosch-Castells, Christele Augard, Céline Petit, Philippe Dussart, Yiksing Peng, Tineke Cantaert, Sowath Ly
Clin Infect Dis. 2023 Jun 20;ciad304. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciad304
Johannes Dirks, Gabriele Haase, Tineke Cantaert, Lea Frey, Moritz Klaas, Christian H. Rickert, Hermann Girschick, Eric Meffre, Henner Morbach.
J Clin Immunol. 2022. Epub 2022/03/06. DOI: 10.1007/s10875-022-01233-5. PubMed PMID: 35246784.
Tineke Cantaert, Nolwenn Jouvenet, Sean A. Diehl.
Front Immunol. 2022;13:835731. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.835731. PMID: 35222425;
Evaluation of cutaneous immune response in a controlled human in vivo model of mosquito bites.
David Guerrero, Hoa Thi My Vo, Chanthap Lon, Jennifer A. Bohl, Sreynik Nhik, Sophana Chea, Somnang Man, Sokunthea Sreng, Andrea R. Pacheco, Sokna Ly, Rathanak Sath, Sokchea Lay, Dorothée Missé, Rekol Huy, Rithea Leang, Hok Kry, Jesus G. Valenzuela, Fabiano Oliveira, Tineke Cantaert**, Jessica E. Manning**.
Nat Commun. 2022;13(1):7036. Epub 2022/11/19. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34534-9. PubMed PMID: 36396947; PMCID: PMC9672097.
MicroRNAs as predictive biomarkers of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome.
Patent No NT/ NG/IDM-22-0055. Scott D, Pean P, Borand L, Meng R, Bunnet D, Madec Y
Heidi Auerswald, Chanreaksmey Eng, Sokchea Lay, Saraden In, Sokchea Eng, Hoa Thi My Vo, Charya Sith, Sokleaph Cheng, Gauthier Delvallez, Vann Mich, Ngy Meng, Ly Sovann, Kraing Sidonn, Jessica Vanhomwegen, Tineke Cantaert, Philippe Dussart, Veasna Duong, Erik A. Karlsson.
Front Med (Lausanne). 2022;9:864972. Epub 2022/05/24. DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.864972. PubMed PMID: 35602487; PMCID: PMC9121123.
Hoa Thi My Vo*, Alvino Maestri*, Heidi Auerswald, Sopheak Sorn, Sokchea Lay, Heng Seng, Sotheary Sann, Nisa Ya, Polidy Pean, Philippe Dussart, Olivier Schwartz, Sovann Ly, Timothée Bruel, Sowath Ly, Veasna Duong, Erik A. Karlsson**, Tineke Cantaert**.
Front Immunol. 2022;13:817905. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.817905. PMID: 35185909; *co-last authors
Hoa Thi My Vo, Vinit Upasani, Heidi Auerswald, Sokchea Lay, Sotheary Sann, Axelle Vanderlinden, Sreymom Ken, Sopheak Sorn, Sowath Ly, Veasna Duong, Philippe Dussart, Tineke Cantaert.
Sci Rep. 2022;12(1):17863. Epub 2022/10/26. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21722-2. PubMed PMID: 36284116; PMCID: PMC9596418.
Antibody fucosylation predicts disease severity in secondary dengue infection
Stylianos Bournazos, Hoa Thi My Vo, Veasna Duong, Heidi Auerswald, Sowath Ly, Anavaj Sakuntabhai, Philippe Dussart, Tineke Cantaert**, Jeffrey V. Ravetch**
Science. American Association for the Advancement of Science; 2021;372(6546):11025. DOI: 10.1126/science.abc7303
Antibody-independent functions of B cells during viral infections
Vinit Upasani, Izabela Rodenhuis-Zybert, Tineke Cantaert.
PLoS Pathog. 2021;17(7):e1009708. DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009708
Differential levels of IFNα subtypes in autoimmunity and viral infection
Vincent Bondet, Mathieu P. Rodero, Céline Posseme, Pierre Bost, Jérémie Decalf, Liis Haljasmägi, Nassima Bekaddour, Gillian I. Rice, Vinit Upasani, Jean-Philippe Herbeuval, John A. Reynolds, Tracy A. Briggs, Ian N. Bruce, Claudia Mauri, David Isenberg, Madhvi Menon, David Hunt, Benno Schwikowski, Xavier Mariette, Stanislas Pol, Flore Rozenberg, Tineke Cantaert, J. Eric Gottenberg, Kai Kisand, Darragh Duffy.
Cytokine. 2021;144:155533. DOI: 10.1016/j.cyto.2021.155533
Vinit Upasani, Hoa Thi My Vo, Heidi Auerswald, Denis Laurent, Sothy Heng, Veasna Duong, Izabela A. Rodenhuis-Zybert, Philippe Dussart, Tineke Cantaert.
Front Immunol. 2021;11. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.594813
Aedes Mosquito Salivary Components and Their Effect on the Immune Response to Arboviruses.
David Guerrero, Tineke Cantaert, Dorothée Missé.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2020;10:407. DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2020.00407
Autoantibody Profiling in Plasma of Dengue Virus-Infected Individuals
Vo Hoa Thi My, Duong Veasna, Ly Sowath,Li, Quan-Zhen, Dussart Philippe, Cantaert Tineke.
Pathogens. 2020;9(12). DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9121060
Dussart Philippe*, Duong Veasna*, Bleakley Kevin, Fortas Camille, Lorn Try Patrich, Kim Kim Srorn, Choeung Rithy, In Saraden, Andries Anne-Claire, Cantaert Tineke, Flamand Marie, Buchy Philippe, Sakuntabhai Anavaj.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2020;14(9):e0008603. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008603
Decreased Type I Interferon Production by Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cells Contributes to Severe Dengue
Upasani Vinit, Scagnolari Carolina; Frasca Federica, Smith Nikaïa, Bondet Vincent, Vanderlinden Axelle, Lay Sokchea, Auerswald Heidi, Heng Sothy, Laurent Denis, Ly Sowath, Duong Veasna, Antonelli Guido, Dussart Philippe, Duffy Darragh, Cantaert Tineke.
Front Immunol. 2020;11:605087. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.605087
Aguilar-Briseño José A., Upasani Vinit, Ellen Bram M. ter, Moser Jill, Pauzuolis Mindaugas, Ruiz-Silva Mariana, Heng Sothy, Laurent Denis, Choeung Rithy, Dussart Philippe, Cantaert Tineke, Smit Jolanda M., Rodenhuis-Zybert Izabela A.
Nature Communications. Nature Publishing Group; 2020;11(1):1‑14. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-16849-7
Tineke Cantaert, Laurence Borand, Lauriane Kergoat, Chanthy Leng, Sivlin Ung, Sotheary In, Yiksing Peng, Chandara Phoeun, Chanthy Hing, Chun Navy Taing, Manil Saman, Sivuth Ong, Channa Mey, Rithy Choeung, Sowath Ly, Philippe Dussart, Hervé Bourhy, Arnaud Tarantola.
Lancet Infect Dis. 2019;19(12):1355‑62. DOI: 10.1016/S1473-3099(19)30311-1
Claude Roth, Tineke Cantaert, Chloé Colas, Matthieu Prot, Isabelle Casadémont, Laurine Levillayer, Jessie Thalmensi, Pierre Langlade-Demoyen, Christiane Gerke, Kapil Bahl, Giuseppe Ciaramella, Etienne Simon-Loriere, Anavaj Sakuntabhai.
Frontiers in Immunology. 2019. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01424
A Treatment-Decision Score for HIV-Infected Children With Suspected Tuberculosis
Olivier Marcy, Laurence Borand, Vibol Ung, Philippe Msellati, Mathurin Tejiokem, Khanh Truong Huu, Viet Do Chau, Duong Ngoc Tran, Francis Ateba-Ndongo, Suzie Tetang-Ndiang, Boubacar Nacro, Bintou Sanogo, Leakhena Neou, Sophie Goyet, Bunnet Dim, Polidy Pean, Catherine Quillet, Isabelle Fournier, Laureline Berteloot, Guislaine Carcelain, Sylvain Godreuil, Stéphane Blanche, Christophe Delacourt, ANRS 12229 PAANTHER 01 STUDY GROUP.
Pediatrics. 2019;144(3):e20182065. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-2065
Polidy Pean, Janin Nouhin, Meng Ratana, Yoann Madec, Laurence Borand, Olivier Marcy, Didier Laureillard, Marcelo Fernandez, Françoise Barré-Sinoussi, Laurence Weiss, Daniel Scott-Algara.
Front Immunol. 2019;10:2018. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02018
Impaired Antibody-Independent Immune Response of B Cells in Patients With Acute Dengue Infection
Vinit Upasani, Hoa Thi My Vo, Sivlin Ung, Sothy Heng, Denis Laurent, Rithy Choeung, Veasna Duong, Sopheak Sorn, Sowath Ly, Izabela A. Rodenhuis-Zybert, Philippe Dussart, Tineke Cantaert.
Front Immunol. 2019;10:2500. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.02500
Time to Micromanage the Pathogen-Host-Vector Interface: Considerations for Vaccine Development
Jessica E. Manning, Tineke Cantaert.
Vaccines. 2019;7(1):10. DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7010010
A Blood RNA Signature Detecting Severe Disease in Young Dengue Patients at Hospital Arrival
Iryna Nikolayeva, Pierre Bost, Isabelle Casademont, Veasna Duong, Fanny Koeth, Matthieu Prot, Urszula Czerwinska, Sowath Ly, Kevin Bleakley, Tineke Cantaert, Philippe Dussart, Philippe Buchy, Etienne Simon-Lorière, Anavaj Sakuntabhai, Benno Schwikowski.
The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2018;217(11):1690‑8. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy086
Host genetic control of mosquito-borne Flavivirus infections
Caroline Manet, Claude Roth, Ahmed Tawfik, Tineke Cantaert, Anavaj Sakuntabhai, Xavier Montagutelli.
Mamm Genome. 2018;29(7‑8):384‑407. DOI: 10.1007/s00335-018-9775-2
Yoann Crabol, Polidy Pean, Channa Mey, Veasna Duong, Beat Richner, Denis Laurent, Ky Santy, Heng Sothy, Philippe Dussart, Arnaud Tarantola, Philippe Buchy**, Paul F. Horwood**.
Int J Infect Dis. 2017;59:69‑76. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2017.04.005
Increased adaptive immune responses and proper feedback regulation protect against clinical dengue
Etienne Simon-Lorière, Veasna Duong, Ahmed Tawfik, Sivlin Ung, Sowath Ly, Isabelle Casadémont, Matthieu Prot, Noémie Courtejoie, Kevin Bleakley, Philippe Buchy, Arnaud Tarantola, Philippe Dussart, Tineke Cantaert, Anavaj Sakuntabhai.
Sci Transl Med. 2017;9(405). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aal5088
Janin Nouhin, Polidy Pean, Yoann Madec, Mathieu F. Chevalier, Celine Didier, Laurence Borand, François-Xavier Blanc, Daniel Scott-Algara, Didier Laureillard, Laurence Weiss.
J Infect. 2017;74(5):456‑65. DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2017.01.016
Necrotic Tuberculin Skin (Mantoux) Test Reaction: A Case Report and an Estimation of Frequency. Bunnet D, Kerleguer A, Kim P, Pean P, Phuong V, Heng N, Peng Y, Borand L, Tarantola A. Chest 2015, 148(1):e1-4.
TB-IRIS, T-Cell Activation, and Remodeling of the T-Cell Compartment in Highly Immunosuppressed Hiv-Infected Patients with TB. Haridas, V., P. Pean, L. D. Jasenosky, Y. Madec, D. Laureillard, T. Sok, S. Sath, L. Borand, O. Marcy, S. Chan, E. Tsitsikov, J. F. Delfraissy, F. X. Blanc, A. E. Goldfeld and Capri- T. Study Team AIDS. 2015 Jan 28;29(3):263-73. doi: 10.1097/QAD.0000000000000546.
Natural killer cell degranulation capacity predicts early onset of the immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in HIV-infected patients with tuberculosis. Pean P, Nerrienet E, Madec Y, Borand L, Laureillard D, Fernandez M, Marcy O, Sarin C, Phon K, Taylor S, Pancino G, Barré-Sinoussi F, Scott-Algara D; Cambodian Early versus Late Introduction of Antiretroviral Drugs (CAMELIA) study team. Blood. 2012 Apr 5;119(14):3315-20.
Virologic and immunologic outcomes in HIV-infected Cambodian children after 18 months of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) 2010. Sophan S, Meng CY, Pean P, Harwell J, Hutton E, Trzmielina S, Somasundaran M, Luzuriaga K, Pugatch D. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2010 Jan;41(1):126-37.
